Strike Two
by stironniganisreal
Summary: "It wasn't that she was ashamed of dating Blake Ronnigan - quite the contrary, really. But Nisha would demand to meet him, so he could contest for her aunt's approval … and, well, she definitely didn't want him to be scared off. Not when he was making her happier than any other guy had in a long time." - just some good old Bleera fluff


**So this fanfic was actually a birthday present to a fellow TMC fan who I've been talking to online for a while now. Since there's quite a lot of distance between us, I told her she could request a fanfic of her own desires. Her response was Happy Bleera.**

 **Not angst, unfortunately, but hey, who wants to read heartbreaking fanfics on their birthday. So if you are a avid Bleera shipper, continue. If not ... well, there's always something else to read.**

 **As always, disclaimer that I do not own the Medoran Chronicles.**

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It was only a matter of time before her aunt would figure things out, concluded Jeera James, a smile touching her lips as she felt her boyfriend's arms loop around her waist from behind. After all, she'd been coming home at ungodly hours on numerous occasions recently, and it was only a matter of time before Nisha put two and two together.

It wasn't that she was ashamed of dating Blake Ronnigan - quite the contrary, really. But Nisha would demand to meet him, so he could contest for her aunt's approval … and, well, she definitely didn't want him to be scared off. Not when he was making her happier than any other guy had in a long time.

She felt him rest his chin on the crown of his head, which was quite an accomplishment considering that she was unusually tall for a female, _plus_ the addition of the heeled black boots she was currently wearing. He'd probably had to strain his neck to do so, which likely looked a little ridiculous. But Blake had never minded bruising his masculine pride in favour of displaying a little affection.

His grip around her waist tightened. "You're quiet tonight. Everything okay?"

Despite his clear concern, his words prompted a slow, irritated exhale from Jeera. Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back to rest on his firm shoulder. Her mind replayed the stressful events of the hours prior, adding to her growing annoyance.

When she didn't respond for a considerable amount of time, his arms squeezed her again. "Jay?"

She responded by shifting her brow into the crook of his neck and sucking in a few calming breaths. He smelled like aftershave and what she suspected was freshly baked brownies. Jeera released a long, low grumble, cut off short by his chuckle.

"That bad, huh?"

She raised her head up again from his shoulder. "Ugh. Let's just say some men don't like being commanded by a woman who's usually fairly younger than them."

Blake stilled in reaction to his words, the arm formerly resting around her waist tightening even further, pulling her more flush against his body than ever. She knew exactly what was racing through her mind; not for the first time since she was first accepted into the position as a Sword Warden, she was grateful that Blake never once felt threatened by who she was.

If anything, he had the mad idea that he wasn't _good_ enough for her. Which, in Jeera's opinion, was absolute horseshit.

"What do they say to you?"

"What do you think?" Jeera said, an incredulous laugh flowing from her mouth. Seeing the sudden agitation on his face in her peripheral vision, she hastily added, "Nothing pervy. After all, it's the military, and anyone with a higher ranking than you is usually somebody who can hand your ass back to you in a fight. Usually it's just … sexism."

Blake pressed his mouth to her denim-clad shoulder, mumbling into the light blue fabric, "Whatever it is they're saying, they're rambling mad and they're assholes. No doubt about it."

Jeera raised a rather arrogant shoulder. "Obviously."

"I mean, you're ranked higher than them for a reason."

" _Clearly_."

"It like - maybe, just _maybe_ \- somebody else is actually better far better at their job than they themselves are, and that certain person is deservingly recognition for that they're actually achieving shit in life."

She was laughing without restrain or uncertainty as she reached back to swat him lightly. "You're too kind, Ronnigan."

"Who said I was talking about you?" Blake retaliated, a mischievous gleam entering his face. Releasing a splutter of indignant laughter, Jeera spun out of his embrace and folded her arms, cocking an eyebrow challengingly.

Blake mirrored her posture, tendrils of his light brown hair falling into his eyes as he looked down at her - more _across_ , really, with her current height - his amusement clear as day. Even more annoyingly, he looked _extremely_ hot when he wore that exact expression - which made her want to either kiss him until neither could breathe or slam her palms forcefully into his chest. Which, knowing her oblivious self, would send her boyfriend toppling off the pier they were standing on into the bellowing dark waves below.

Jeera glared up at him. He grinned back with a troublemaker's ease, completely unfazed, which only served to irritate her further. Well, usually it was something that made her ridiculously happy, knowing that the reason behind his unfailing respect for her wasn't out of intimidation.

Gods, what on earth would her aunt think of him?

After a long moment Blake laughed. "You really can be vain at times, can't you?" he asked, a tease in his words as he gripped her hip, pulling her back against him.

She persisted to glare up at him. And so his chuckles continued.

He was a little shit at times. Usually Jeera liked to be a shit right along with him, but not when it came to this. She had an ego that he'd bruised a little, and she wasn't letting it go until he'd redeemed himself.

After a few long moments of her glowering at him and him grinning like the idiot he was, the stupid smirk finally dropped off his face. "Okay, okay. Brief lapse of masculinity bullshit there. I'm sorry, Jay."

Shaking her head minutely, Jeera was unable to resist grinning up at him. She leaned over and up a little, softly fitting her lips to his in a chaste kiss. Immediately his arms curled up around her again - he held her tightly, so closely she could feel his thundering heartbeat when she rested a hand on his chest - the kiss deepened, their arms tightened around each other, their bodies became even more entwined -

"Blake, what the hell?"

He was the one to break the liplock, almost jumping out of it, and wheeling around in the direction of the voice that had interrupted their moment. Interest piqued - as well as her annoyance, that such a nice kiss had so abruptly stopped - Jeera peered over her boyfriend's shoulder, seeing a young man who could only be a Ronnigan relative, staring at them with a stunned curiosity. Perhaps even one of Blake's brothers, what with his near identical features as well as light brown hair and pale blue eyes. The only noticeable difference was his slighter build and the fashionable pair of black-framed glasses.

"Hey, big bro," Blake said, sounding a little strained. "How's it going?"

Jeera blinked. This surely had to be the oldest of her boyfriend's several siblings. A nervous laugh bubbled up inside her, threatening to break loose, but she held it down. _This wasn't exactly the way you were planning on meeting his family as his official girlfriend and not just a friend,_ she told herself with a mental scowl.

"Don't 'big bro' me," responded the guy who surely had to be Johnny Ronnigan. "I mean, I've just found you in the place which is surely the place where you take girls to make out -"

All of Jeera's thoughts immediately screeched to a halt.

Blake made a strangled noise, his neck and ears flaring up with the precise shade of beetroot. "Johnny! I don't - she - This is _not_ my make-out spot!"

"So you do have a make-out spot?" Jeera exclaimed, deliberating to swear colourfully at her boyfriend or his brother. Or, most preferably, both. Honestly, having known Blake for years, how could she _not_ have suspected this -

Blake muttered something unflattering about interfering brothers. She was more than familiar with that sort of thing, but it didn't breach her sympathies in the slightest. In fact, she was annoyed enough with him to slip out of his grip, pointedly stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"See?" Blake addressed his brother. "This is why I don't associate with you. Not only are you a nerd, but you're a nerd that talks perfectly false bullshit to my girl."

At least he'd referred to her as 'his girl'.

Johnny raised his arms. "Why are you using _nerd_ like it's a derogatory term?"

She couldn't help herself. "Because it is." After all, her annoyance was beginning to swim towards this guy. He'd interrupted both a perfectly good kiss and a perfectly good date with his brotherly bullcrap. She now beginning to regret having left her military-issued Stabiliser safely back at home in the weaponry safe.

"Exactly," Blake said, sending his brother a glare before announcing, "And for the record, I _don't_ have a single designated make out spot. And even if I did, I wouldn't take Jeera there, because she's far too good for such a typical playboy motive."

Oh, alright. He'd redeemed himself. (Once again.)

Listening to Johnny Ronnigan express his resignation - there was a brotherly fondness in his tone that was all too familiar - Jeera stepped back into intimate range of her boyfriend and lightly grasped his elbow.

Blake shot her a soft, curling smile before throwing his gaze back to his brother. "Now that _that's_ over with - Jay, this is my insufferable brother. Johnny, this is my amazing girlfriend - Jeera."

Johnny Ronnigan appraised her with unrestrained curiosity. "Aren't you … aren't you two friends?"

Jeera bit down on a snort, hiding her laughter in Blake's shoulder as he rolled his eyes at his brother. "Things change, Johnny. Guess she just couldn't resist my charms any longer."

She snorted incredulously. "You wish." Reaching down to grasp the softened leather of his jacket, she tugged him off the pier and away from his brother. "It was nice meeting you, but your idiot of a brother and mine of a boyfriend has gotten himself into strife twice tonight."

"Step up your game, Blake," called Johnny after them, not skipping a beat.

"Hey, I'm the one with a beautiful girl on my arm," Blake shot back, his arm having curled tightly around her waist. Then they dissolved into the crowds of strolling people clustering the harbour that had led out into the pier. Once far away from his brother, did Jeera swat him on his shoulder.

"I wasn't lying when I said you're on strike two."

"I know you're not," Blake grinned at her. "So now I'm going to decide whether or not it's worth hitting the third one."

"In that case …" Jeera rolled her bottom lip between her teeth thoughtfully. "Say you really do misbehave - and I'll withdraw kisses."

He was definitely interested now. And slightly terrified. "For how long?"

She shot him a sly look. "Two weeks."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you sure that's a little too harsh -"

"Oh, I know I'll survive. After all, I manage to go _all_ those years without your affections before I caved in, didn't I?" A skip in her step, she offered him another feline smile.

"I've decided it's not worth it," Blake said sheepishly after a long moment.

"Indeed."

He laughed at that, and for the rest of the night, he behaved himself - or at least, as well as Blake Ronnigan could keep himself in line. But then again, she was just as bad as him. Maybe even worse.

Yes, it'd be the entertainment of the century, introducing him to her aunt.

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 **Please leave a review to tell me what you think! :D**


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